ObjectivesCSU’s Bachelor of Nursing is a contemporary and competitive course, developed in close association with the industry to prepare graduates for a career in nursing.
Academic titleBachelor of Nursing (by distance education)
Course descriptionAbout the course
The first year of this distance education course is only offered to nurses who currently hold an Enrolled Nurse Certificate (Certificate IV or equivalent), and applicants who meet the criteria for entry into Session 3 or later stages of the course.
The Bachelor of Nursing is also offered as a full-time on campus course. Registered Nurses interested in upgrading to a degree from a Nursing Certificate or Diploma should complete the Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing).
The Bachelor of Nursing by distance education is recommended as a part-time course however students may increase or reduce the number of subjects in which they enrol. Taking longer than four years to finish may allow clinical placements to be spread out to suit employer requirements.
Your course is recognised by industry
In 2002, the Bachelor of Nursing at Charles Sturt University was awarded seven years of accreditation by the NSW Nurses Registration Board (now known as the Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW), the accrediting body for nursing courses leading to registration in NSW.
In 2004, the Bachelor of Nursing by distance education was accredited for five years by the Nurses Board of Victoria.
Practical experience
Over the duration of the course, you will be required to undertake 20 weeks of clinical practice. While on your clinical placement, you will work as part of the healthcare or nursing team and deliver nursing care under the supervision and guidance of your clinical teacher. Clinical teachers, who are experienced nurses familiar with the Bachelor of Nursing course at CSU, will supervise and guide you during all hospital and community placements.
Students are required to undertake clinical experience on a supernumerary basis, in hospitals and health centres throughout health regions of the state, e.g. Greater Western and Greater Southern Area Health Services, and in major city and metropolitan regions. This ensures that students gain experience in hospitals and with community health teams in city and country areas. Students undertaking the course by distance education will be required to undertake their clinical experience (see course structure for details) in clinical facilities other than their usual place of employment. As there is no guarantee that facilitated placements will be offered in a student’s home region, placements in regions other than the place of residence may be necessary. Facilitated placements will normally only be offered in NSW. Clinical block placements occur either once or twice each year with cheap accommodation usually being available in nurses’ homes, etc. attached to hospitals.
It is important to note that, although every effort will be made to accommodate individual needs and to arrange placements which are convenient to the normal place of residence, students will at times be required to travel or relocate temporarily to other health regions for the duration of the block clinical placement. Where a cluster of students live in a geographic area, CSU will endeavour to generate an appropriate placement in that region.
Clinical placements range in length from two to four weeks as indicated in the course structure. Groups of eight students will be supervised by a clinical facilitator. This information can be accessed at the School of Nursing and Midwifery website.
Students are required to wear the CSU uniform while on clinical placement.
All students undertaking a clinical placement in Victoria must be registered with the Nurses Board of Victoria from 1 July 2008.
Credit
An Enrolled Nurse TAFE certificate (Certificate IV and/or equivalent) attracts credit for five subjects. The course structure incorporates the five subjects credit allowed for enrolled nurses (ENs).
The subject NRS116 Concepts and Issues in Nursing comprises the bridging course subjects for ENs.
This subject ‘bridges’ ENs for the first-year subjects (except the two science subjects) normally studied in the first year on campus for non-ENs.
Residential School
Practical tutorials are conducted during residential schools in the University nursing laboratories, which are simulated wards equipped with hospital beds and other hospital equipment. Residential schools will be held at Bathurst for nursing and science subjects. It is the responsibility of students to ensure they are able to attend all compulsory residential schools and block clinical placements.
Graduation requirements
To graduate, students must satisfactorily complete 192 points (equivalent to 24 subjects), which includes gaining a satisfactory grade for all clinical placements.
Clinical requirements
Refer to the Clinical Requirements section following for information on:
* Senior First Aid Certificate
* Criminal Record Clearance
* Immunisation
* The Nurses and Midwives Board of NSW (NMB NSW) requirement
Further study
Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Nursing, students may apply to complete the Bachelor of Health Science (Nursing) (Honours), studied over one year full-time on campus, or two years part-time by distance education.